1. Field of the Invention
The present invention, in general, relates to toilets and, more particularly, to the cutting of a closet bolt that secures a toilet to a floor.
Toilets are well-known. Closet bolts are similarly well-known and the most common types consist of a threaded one-quarter inch rod of a predetermined length. Closet bolts are used to secure the toilet to a flange on the floor.
A lower end of each closet bolt cooperates with an opening that is provided in the flange, thereby preventing the lower end of the closet bolt from being pulled up and apart from the flange. A nut or other means, for example having a lower portion of the closet bolt cooperate with a threaded-opening in the flange, are possible ways of securing the lower end of the closet bolt to the flange.
Typically, one closet bolt is disposed on a left side of a base of the toilet and another closet bolt is disposed on a right side of the base. Each closet bolt typically passes through an opening that is provided in the base. The nut is used with each closet bolt and is tightened to secure the base proximate the floor. This type of an installation is well-known in the plumbing arts.
The closet bolts tend to protrude up from the floor an amount sufficient to permit their use in most situations. In particular, each closet bolt must extend sufficiently high to permit an initial threading of a nut onto an upper end of the closet bolt after the upper end has first passed through one of the openings provided in the base.
After the closet bolts are tightened they tend to protrude up from the base an excessive and unsightly amount. The amount is excessive because too long of a protrusion above the base prevents proper placement of a decorative cap that is usually affixed atop the upper end of the closet bolt and over the nut.
The decorative cap is used to complete the aesthetic requirements of the installation. If the protrusion is excessive, the decorative cap cannot be properly placed over the nut and the upper end of the closet bolt. It will be too high and a gap will exist between a bottom of the decorative cap and a top surface of the base.
This necessitates cutting off a portion of the upper end of the closet bolt prior to placing the decorative cap thereon. It is important to understand that this operation cannot be accomplished until after the toilet has been fully and properly secured in position by the closet bolts. It is likely that each closet bolt, having pulled the base further downward during tightening of the nut, will require cutting. Therefore, the closet bolts cannot be “pre-cut”. They must be cut in position after the nuts have been fully tightened.
The most common way this is accomplished in the field is by the use of an old-fashioned hacksaw. However, this approach has certain serious drawbacks and potential deleterious consequences associated therewith.
For example, toilets are often mounted close to a wall or partition. In general, access to the upper ends of the closet bolts is limited. Sometimes, there is not enough room to use a hacksaw effectively.
Also, cutting the closet bolts with a hacksaw is time-consuming. This adds time to the installation which translates into higher installation costs for the consumer or lower profits for the installer (i.e., the plumber).
Perhaps the worst potential consequence is that, when working in an awkward posture and in tight quarters, it is easy for the hacksaw to slip off of the upper end of the closet bolt and strike some other portion of the base of the toilet. When this happens, the hacksaw is apt to mar, sometimes grossly, the finish of the base.
Aesthetics is a prime factor that motivates most people to remodel their bathroom. As such, most consumers will not tolerate a visible scratch on the base of their newly installed toilets. The installer must then remove the damaged toilet, order a new one, absorb the cost of the damaged one, and schedule yet another time to complete installation. It is important to note that the risk of a subsequent slippage and damaging yet another toilet does not go away during successive installation attempts.
There is also risk that if the hacksaw should slip off of the closet bolt during a cutting thereof, that the blade might contact some portion of the installer, thereby possibly causing injury.
It is clear that the use of a hacksaw to cut off the upper ends of closet bolts can prove to be especially costly, both in time and money, to an installer (i.e., plumbing contractor).
Other systems, as described hereinafter, are used to install toilets, also known as a “water closet” in the field. However, these systems are expensive, complex, and generally difficult to use.
Also, other prior art attempted solutions have failed to sufficiently mitigate the problems of water closet (i.e., toilet) installation because they too tend to be excessively large. A small, compact solution to the problem has been elusive because of either the need for a saw or the need to supply great mechanical advantage to sever the closet bolts. These needs have heretobefore produced heavy or cumbersome devices that have exhibited limited capabilities.
It is important to note that plumbers, aware of the tight quarters that they often find themselves working in, will not be inclined to purchase large or heavy equipment. That is why the lightweight hacksaw, with its many problems and disadvantages, has remained to this day the tool and method of choice for cutting off the upper ends (i.e., the tops) of closet bolts.
There is another problem that occurs when a hacksaw or when other prior art tools and methods are used to cut or sever an upper portion of a closet bolt. That problem is that the threads of the closet bolt can become damaged. This can make removal of the nut apart from the remaining portion of the upper end especially difficult to accomplish.
Then, when removal of the water closet (i.e., toilet) is required, the marred threads can greatly extend the amount of work and the time that is required to do so. This, also adds to the cost of repairs or improvements.
There is still a further problem associated with the cutting of a closet bolt by a hacksaw and that is that the metal filings that occur during cutting must be picked up off of the floor, lest they be stepped on and potentially damage the floor. This takes additional time to accomplish after cutting the two closet bolts that are typically used.
Additionally, there is a need to be able to cut the closet bolt as low and as close as possible to the nut so as to allow placement of the decorative cap over the nut (if used) and remaining portion of the closet bolt.
Accordingly, there exists today a need for a water closet bolt cutter that helps to ameliorate the above-mentioned problems and difficulties as well as ameliorate those additional problems and difficulties as may be recited in the “OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION” or discussed elsewhere throughout the specification.
Clearly, such an apparatus would be a useful and desirable device.
2. Description of Prior Art
Toilet installation systems are, in general, known. For example, the following patents describe various types of these devices:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,421,036 to Stevens et al., Jun. 6, 1995; and
U.S. Pat. No. 4,194,286 to Kearns, Mar. 25, 1980;
U.S. Pat. No. 2,560,318 to Wenger that issued Jul. 10, 1951 describes a type of bolt cutter.
While the structural arrangements of the above described devices may, at first appearance, have certain similarities with the present invention, they differ in material respects. These differences, which will be described in more detail hereinafter, are essential for the effective use of the invention and which admit of the advantages that are not available with the prior devices.